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Rating: 
Summary: "My Story " by Amelia Davis
Review: I am actually 'in' Amelia's book and I know how hard she worked to make the public more aware of how devastasting Multiple Sclerosis really is for not only the person with the disease but for all the family members, friends and caregivers it touches. Amelia traveled all over the country and photographed people with MS and although she requested that the participants write their own biographies, her camera alone tells the whole story. Her choice of black & white photos adds another dimension and increases the already dramatic content. I was very skeptical that photographs could capture the anguish I sometimes feel or the love and concern my caregivers provide but I was pleasantly surprised that she made me a believer! Her artistic eye caught the underlying emotion that was present and all while we quietly talked and laughed among ourselves. Many of Amelia's photographs of other people in the book portrays one of the most difficult aspects of the disease, how many young people must learn to live with a disability. Also, her photos indicate how indiscriminate MS really is and how without any notice, you could wake up one morning only to find you are numb from head to toe (a reality for me)! The most healing aspect of the book for me is seeing how others have dealt with similar circumstances and symptoms. It is very easy to feel as if you are being punished and are alone with a major illness. Reading her book, however, confirmed what I learned in my journey with MS, that although I miss my legs, not having them made me a better person. I appreciate what I HAVE a lot more... I gave Amelia five stars, not because I am in her book but because of what her photographs say. Amelia walked in and out of my life but her pictures captured, for me and many others, how people struggle but succeed in taking the 'limits' out of limitations.
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Summary: When adversity strikes
Review: I just read Amelia Davis' book "My Story," and I thought it was wonderful. I was especially touched by the stories of the caregivers, and their children. As a caregiver for over 20 years for my husband who has MS, I could relate to the feelings of both the people with MS and their caregivers. Ms. Davis' book made me realize that feelings of apprehension, indecision, and fatigue are all part of caregiving. The courage and positive attitude of the person with MS give the reader and their caregivers the will to continue to support one and another in spite of the obtacles MS deals them. These are people who do things to improve the lives of others. People who motivate others by example. There were parts of the book that made me so happy, and other parts that literally brought me to tears. MS sure can cause havoc in the lives of so many, and it is amazing how resilient the people with MS really are in facing this disease. Through her black and white photography, Ms. Davis has written a beautiful book. A book that will leave all that read it with a different outlook about those living with MS, and want us all to support all efforts to conquer this disease, and forge on to find a cure. Thank you Ms. Davis for a Five star book on MS.
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Summary: Recommended to the attention of anyone diagnosed with MS
Review: My Story: A Photographic Essay On Life With Multiple Sclerosis is comprised of a series of engaging essays and illustrative photographs by San Francisco-based photographer Amelia Davis on what it is like to live the medical condition of multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease affecting about 350,000 Americans and whose origins are still speculative. What is portrayed are the lives of 32 men and women from seventeen to seventy, and of diverse ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. Accompanying each informed and informative essay are commentaries provided by family members and friends that express their personal feelings and experiences of living with loved one having to deal with MS. Inspiring and at times quite moving, My Story is strongly recommended to the attention of anyone diagnosed with MS, and those who love them.
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